Messium CEO George Marangos-Gilks, left, and CTO Vishal Soomaney Vijaykumar, right. Photo: Messium

U.K.-based startup Messium looks to use hyperspectral satellites to monitor nitrogen in crops. The company announced a 3.3 million euro ($3.9 million) seed round this week, led by UK Innovation & Science Seed Fund (UKI2S) and Expansion Aerospace Ventures. 

Messium’s platform combines hyperspectral satellite data that measures nitrogen levels in fields with AI models that analyze the data along with weather, soil, and farm management information to make recommendations to optimize yields and cut fertilizer waste. The system is already serving more than 75 farms across the U.K. and Europe this year, with additional pilots underway in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the U.S. 

The company plans to use the funding to build its team and technology and accelerate its commercial rollout in the U.K., Europe, and Australia. 

“Feeding the world sustainably is one of the defining challenges of our time. At Messium, we believe the answer lies in harnessing the best of satellite technology and AI to deliver field-specific recommendations at massive scale,” co-founder and CEO George Marangos-Gilks said in a statement. “Our ambition is bold: to eliminate fertilizer guesswork worldwide, boost yields, cut waste, and help secure the future of food.”

Other investors Mudcake, Laconia, GRDC GrainInnovate, Clear Current Capital, Moonstone Venture Capital and follow-on investor SuperSeed also participated in the round.